Saturday, July 30, 2011

Remember Metronomy? Since I last posted on them, the group has been nominated for a Mercury Prize. I told you they were good. While we've already established their album The English Riviera as the perfect sunny day soundtrack, sometimes it feels like their songs are a bit too bright and cheery to translate to nighttime debaucheries. Luckily, that's what remixes are for. The first such remix is of The Look, which gets turned on its head by Belgium's Moonlight Matters. He takes the bouncy minimalist original and expands it to a stomping disco powerhouse. Next up we have two remixes of The Bay, by London acts The 2 Bears and Clock Opera (my loves). Both do some really neat things with chopping of the vocal line, giving the song an entirely different lyrical meaning in addition to instrumental mix. All the remixes up the sex factor and the grooveability, making them choice accompaniments to a smoldering Saturday night.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

ATN TX: Robyn is coming!
On tour with Katy Perry this summer, the duo is making a stop in Dallas this Thursday, the 28th. After the concert, Robyn will be playing an exclusive DJ set at Rio Room, and we have a pair of tickets to give away!

To celebrate the launch of their EPIC Summer Series, Rio Room has given us a pair of tickets to give away to our readers! To be entered for a chance to win, simply RT this tweet (please be sure to do it manually--that is, write "RT @LOOSELIPSmik blahblah" because Twitter doesn't show me everyone who hits the RT button), and tomorrow I'll pick a winner at random! No Twitter? No problem. Just Like Us on Facebook and leave a comment on the contest post! Or if you're the type who doesn't like to risk their luck, tickets are $20 and are only available online, so be sure to buy in advance HERE.

Now on to the music.

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Unfamiliar with Robyn? She's the original Swedish electropop goddess. Active since the mid 90s, she's been burning up clubs and radios all over Europe, before finally seeing stateside success and Grammy nominations for her amazing Robyn in 2009. Last year's Body Talk made nearly every critic's Years'-Best List, and now with her Katy Perry tour, she's finally looking like a bonafide international pop star. Having collaborated with some of the greatest producers and DJs in the game (Royksopp, A-Trak, Bloody Beetroots, Kaskade to name a few), you can bet her DJ set is going to be a dancefloor frenzy. Don't miss it.

I've come to learn that if you're a band from Scotland, you already have something going for you. There must be something in the water or the whiskey up there, because the country has spawned some of my absolute favorite bands of all time. Glasgow's We Were Promised Jetpacks are ready to unleash their sophomore effort, In the Pit of the Stomach, sometime in early October on FatCat Records. Matching the electric energy and overall awesomeness behind the band's 2010 debut, These Four Walls, is going to be a tough endeavor, but after hearing a cut from the album, I think it's going to be more than possible.

With a band like WWPJ, you worry that the band might try and expand their sound, trick things up a bit, or go entirely out into left field, ending up with a bigger identity crisis than Superman (did I just seriously use that reference?). Fortunately, Act on Impulse builds on what makes We Were Promised Jetpacks so lovable in the first place. The song boasts the band's trademark Scottish melding of post-punk and indie rock, with its head-bobbing crescendos and droney shoegaze-like buildups. It's a very cool entry in the WWPJ catalog, and doesn't lose any of the raw power of the old material. Still, Act on Impulse doesn't feel like it would fit comfortably on These Four Walls. I think the Scots may have a pleasantly surprising second album right around the corner. Download Act on Impulse.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Is it ok to really really like Everything Everything? Being not from England (the four-piece band hails from Manchester), I am pretty unaware of their reputation other than what I've read on music blogs, and as we all know (and if my own is any indication), music blogs can be pretty biased. Everything Everything certainly feel like a guilty pleasure band. Between singer Jonathan Higg's ludicrous falsetto and the almost-too-catchy dancerock choruses, they come off as that kind of immensely brandable act destined for top 40 superstardom, which, to a hipster fag music blogger like me, should make them more or less the enemy. But then their 2010 album, Man Alive, was nominated for the Mercury Prize (England's most prestigious little-band-that-could-award), so now I'm thinking maybe my love doesn't have to be so guilty after all.

Check out their amazing single MY KZ, UR BF (that chorus!), of which we featured a fabulous Clock Opera remix last week, but who's original is just as brilliant. Be sure to buy Man Alive on iTunes, or stream it on Spotify (I'm obsessed)!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

This artist I'm about to post has to be one of my favorite hip hop acts out there right now. In my opinion, Macklemore is the cream crop when it comes to the largely underrated Seattle underground scene. In a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few months ago, we got to the topic of our favorite scene in hip hop these days and when I told him mine was Seattle, he thought I was kidding. I wasn't. Not known as one of the typical hubs of the genre, Seattle doesn't get the respect that it deserves for putting out a ton of good underground acts. Blue Scholars are a group that has gotten a decent amount of exposure over the years, enough that they managed to drop their label for their most recent album--Cinematropolis (get that)--and fund the entire thing on individual fan donations. Who says this generation of music fans is apathetic and unwilling to pay for the art that they consume? But I'm not writing this post about Blue Scholars, although it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Macklemore is one of those artists that I honestly can't explain why they're not more popular. He tells stories through his music in a way that completely engages you, especially with the emotion that he puts into his verses. The other reason why I'm such a big fan of his music is because he works with Ryan Lewis. Also out of Seattle, Lewis is one of the most progressive producers in the game right now. Instead of your typical hip hop beat, Lewis' production feels much more like a musical composition. He doesn't fall into the usual repetitive nature of hip hop production, instead, his music breaks the mold and as a result I fing that it complements Macklemore's lyricism much better. My writing of this blog just got seriously stalled by the fact that I'm having the toughest time choosing which song to post. The problem: I have way too many favorite Macklemore songs. After much deliberation, I've decided on a song called Vipassana off of his most recent project, the VS Redux EP. Wikipedia tells me that Vipassana is a form of Buddhist meditation; well chosen title Mr. Macklemore. Listen to the song and you'll understand.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Exciting developments in the house. After months of begging, my brother (CREM - his initials) has finally agreed to contribute to LOOSE L!PS. If there's one person who can point me in the direction of my new favorite song, it's him (though I begrudgingly admit it). He'll be contributing a monthly wrap up of his latest gotta-have songs, which--if this month's group is any indication--are likely to become your favorites as well. I give you, Crème de la CREM.

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Hellooo out there. I have been invited to occasionally post a few tracks that aren’t necessarily the Loose Lips’ norm. I like to think of myself as a champion of musical diversity, and I’ll do my best to bring you a few monthly gems, but I primarily dabble in hip-hop, electronic, instrumentals, house, dub step, drum and bass, progressive house, some trance, even a few indie rock tunes. Basically anything that makes me push repeat again and again. These are this month’s indispensable tracks, ranging from super chill beats to a summer banger. Enjoy, this should be the start of something beautiful…

Sooo catchy. Martin Solveig does it again with this gem, teaming up with Phoenix’s Thomas Mars to create a summer banger. Just try to not replay this song, the chorus will be stuck in your head for weeks.

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

I was sent this video yesterday and watched it once. Failing to immediately recognize the genius in the work I thought "Damn, that's cool...and a great song to boot," and continued on with my life. Big mistake. Thankfully, the passivity was not meant to be. Today I was sitting at my desk and started humming a refrain to myself incessantly. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was, until I went through my internet's history and came upon Icona Pop's Manners video again. An epic A-HA! moment ensued. I might have been a little late on the uptake, but now I've seen the light : this song and video are amazing. Dare I say incredible? This audio + visual combo is the manifestation of the pinnacle of great pop music, complete with an irresistible chorus, "bah bah bah"s (the catchiest vocal addition to any song, period.), pretty girls, neon, kaleidoscopes, and crashing drums offset my playful whirls and bleeps. Amazing.

Icona Pop are Swedish (WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED), and Manners comes from a 7" Split which came out in March on the always-fabulous Neon Gold. Watch the video above (Seriously.), download Manners below, and thank me later.

As we move into the second half of summer, I think it's time for some catchy, alternative pop from England. Manchester's The Slowdown may come across a little like The Kings of Leon on a sugar high, but there's a lot more to it than that. The band's single Sex shows a lot of promise for the four mates from across the pond. The song is absolutely a blast to listen to with its high-energy chorus and super memorable guitar hooks. Also, the breakdown and buildup toward the end incorporate an orchestral feel that reminds me of other European wall-of-sound rockers like Denmark's The Kissaway Trail. The song is fairly simple, but ramps up and explodes so many times that it's a real roller coaster of a tune - perfect for summertime. I really wouldn't be surprised if this band starts gaining as much momentum as Sex creates. If you're looking for a musical summer fling, this is it.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Birthday, America. In celebration I have a killer collaboration for you from two artists out of America's heartland--New Jersey and Nashville, Tennessee. (Well... one of those is America's heartland, and one is America's armpit. You draw your own conclusions.) You might do music well Europe, but so do we, and sometimes we even do it better. Take for example this awesome Jensen Sportag Remix of Memory Tapes' Wait In The Dark. Jensen Sportag are one of many stellar acts on one of my favorite small labels, Cascine. I've never posted about a Cascine act on here (which is really, really my bad), but let me tell you: if you're a fan of dreamy, synthy, feel-good pop music than you need to look no farther than their roster of 8 artists. This is a label I truly admire, not only for their sound and vision but also their amazing, genuine love for their artists--Cascine are their own biggest fans, and that's cool as hell. But enough about my label crush, check out this remix. Jensen Sportag take the upbeat synth pop stylings already rampant in the original mix and take them to the 80s. Add some funky bass, smooth guitar, and dreamy swirls, and we've got ourselves yet another summer anthem for driving with the top down during the day and making stupid decisions at night because you're young and you can. Do you guys remember LL's Take It To The Pool Mix? Well this is getting added immediately. Summer soundtrack, right here.

Stream the song above, and download it (for free) as part of a 3-song Memory Tapes Tour compilation by clicking here and entering your email address. Additionally, Memory Tapes' second album, Player Piano is out today (Happy Birthday America indeed) on Carpark records. Be sure to preview it here and buy it here.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Stellar news: Bit Funk had a new single out. I don't think I've ever spoken about Bit Funk on here (but I have over at Binary so check that out), but he's one of my favorite producers. I know it seems like I might say that a lot but I really mean it with this one. Bit Funk comes to us from Brooklyn by way of Chicago by way of Toronto, and he makes some of the greatest nu-disco and house you can find this side of the Atlantic. He's one of the few producers that, if I see he has a new remix or release out, I don't even need to stream it before buying or downloading it--I know without previewing hat it's going to be great.

Bit Funk has a knack for crafting the kind of music that causes your mind to wander and your imagination to take you to another place entirely. His latest single, She's Got Two Hearts, just released June 29th on Bargrooves, and includes remixes from heavyweights (and LL favorites) Treasure Fingers and Ghosts of Venice, is one such a song. 7 minutes of swirling synths, filters and pads, and the simple, clear vocal line "She's got two hearts; one is cruel and one is golden," reminds you of every dysfunctional relationship you've ever had--the voice in your head rings clear and reasonable while your emotions swirl around under it. This is one of those great late-night summer jams for when you're wracking your brain for what went wrong in the hours preceding your solo drive home. (Yeah, I've sooo been there.) She's Got Two Hearts is now available on Beatport. Stream it above and be sure to buy it after.

As a bonus, here's my favorite Bit Funk song ever, Love Scientific as a download. It epitomizes the dreamy production style I referenced previously, with its cosmic synths propelled by an urgent intensity, and is one of my top-15-most played songs on iTunes. For good--no, great--reason.

Friday, July 1, 2011

I have a thing for instrumental music. (By 'instrumental' I mean music without any discernible or intelligible vocal track.) I know that not everyone shares this fondness; some people can't really get into a song unless there's some lyrical message glaring them in the face, and that's ok. But for those of you that do share my love, and like said tracks a bit on the experimental side, I have quite treat for you. At least, I've had it on near-constant repeat for the past few days.

It's my pleasure to introduce you to Antwerp, a new British producer by way of Italy, who crafts luscious experimental, ambient house. Equinox, the standout track on his debut self-titled EP, out July 27 on Make Mine, is a twisting, beeping journey through electronic soundscapes, grounded by a steady kick propelling the otherwise ethereal piece along at an assertive 125 bmp. At speeds like that, this can't be considered anything other than a dance track, yet this is probably the most intricate and unlikely dance track I've heard all year. Note: that's a really good thing. Whatever genre it falls under, it's beautiful, and if dancing on alien planets to soaring ambient electro is your thing (or really wish it was), this is going to be the tune of summer for you.